94 WILSON EXPEDITION TO CHINA 



This small and very ornamental tree is rare in western Hupeh and has not been 

 reported from Szech'uan. The undescribed flowers are yellowish white and are 

 borne in axillary or terminal panicles or rarely in axillary racemes; rhachis, pedi- 

 cels and the calyx outside and inside densely fulvous tomentose; calyx turbinate, 

 about 1 cm. long and divided to the middle into triangular-ovate acutish lobes, 

 petals about 2 cm. long, standard suborbicular unguiculate, wings and the petals 

 of the keel obliquely obovate; ovary pilose along the sutures, with an involute 

 style. R. A. and E. H. W. 



Ormosia Hosiei Hemsley & Wilson in Kew Bull. Misc. Inform. 

 1906, 156. 



Western Szech'uan: Chengtu Plain, temple compound, alt. 

 650 m., May 18, 1908 (No. 2372, in part; tree 20 "m. tall, girth 3 m.); 

 Chengtu, September 1903 (Veitch Exped. No. 3407, type); near Sui 

 Fu, alt. 209-300 m., April 1908 (No. 2372, in part; tree 16-26 m. tall, 

 flowers pink). Western Hupeh : Nanto, May 1900 (Veitch Exped. 

 No. 808; tree 13 m., flowers white); Changyang (Veitch Exped. No. 

 1994). 



This is one of the most beautiful of all Chinese trees and its red-colored wood, 

 which is heavier than water, is esteemed above all other Chinese woods for 

 high-grade cabinet work. Formerly the tree was common in Szech'uan but it is 

 now rare except in the more remote north-central parts of the province. It grows 

 to a large size and has a massive bole, spreading branches and smooth green 

 bark which becomes grey and fissured on old trees. The inflorescence is panicu- 

 late, and the undescribed flowers are fragrant, and vary from nearly white to 

 rose-pink; calyx turbinate, 0.8-1 cm. long with short triangular-ovate lobes 

 densely tomentose inside and outside; petals about 2 cm. long; standard broadly 

 obovate, unguiculate; wings and the petals of the keel oblong-obovate, unguicu- 

 late; ovary glabrous, with an involute style. 



Pictures of this tree will be found under Nos. 61, 289, 385, 386 of the collection 

 of Wilson's photographs and in his Vegetation of Western China, Nos. 320-322. 

 Colloquially it is known as the " Hung-tou shu " (Red-bean tree). 



A. R. and E. H. W. 



SOPHORA L. 



Sophora Wilsonii Craib, n. sp. 



Frutex 1-2-metralis; ramuli primo densius adpresse pubescentes, 

 mox glabri, cortice reticulato-striato obtecti. Folia imparipinnata 

 6.5-15 cm. longa, breviter petiolata, petiolo rhachideque supra canali- 

 culatis ut ramuli pubescentibus; stipulae vix 3 mm. longae, deciduae; 

 foliola altema, 8-10-juga, lanceolata, ovato-lanceolata, oblongo- 

 lanceolata v. terminalia oblanceolata, parum inaequilatera, apice 

 obtusa, basi cuneata ad rotundata, 0.5-4.8 cm. longa, 0.5-1.9 cm. 

 lata, chartacea, supra costa excepta demum glabra, subtus adpresse 

 ferrugineo-pubescentia, nervis lateralibus utrinque circiter 8 intra 



